Together At Last
by MinorCutie
Summary: Continuation of my one-shot, Return To You. Star and Marco are about to face their biggest obstacle yet: Growing Up. They'll expect the typical young adult issues, but might not appreciate learning that ruling an entire kingdom is easier than renting an apartment on Earth. Full of fluff, drama, will possibly be M for mature themes later on in the story.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is a continuation of a one-shot I wrote called Return To You. Please read that first or you will find yourself very confused!**

* * *

It was an unusually rainy day in Echo Creek.

The steady tapping of Marco's fingertips across his knees matched the pattern of rainfall hitting the window pane.

"I didn't know you drank tea," Marco turned to face the blonde princess lounging comfortably in the chair beside him.

She inhaled deeply, her top lip barely touching the rim of her mug.

"It's a habit I picked up from my mom a few years ago."

A comfortable silence fell over them and 20 minutes had passed before Star finally sighed, "I guess we should get up. You wouldn't want to be late to your own welcome party, would you?"

The duo had decided to spend one more week in Marco's childhood town before leaving for Mewni. This gave Star a chance to go home and talk to her parents about the situation, seeing how they would react and if it was even possible for Marco to live with them. She wasn't expecting the full welcome wagon and party plans after divulging her idea, but the King and Queen were full of surprises these days. They reacted even more excitedly when Star confessed that she and Marco had decided to _be_ with each other.

Not much would be changing from when they were 14 and living together. They would still have separate rooms, much to the dismay of Star. One of the benefits she was looking forward to after getting with Marco was expanding their Friendship Thursdays into big cuddle sessions. She was an adult now, couldn't she have a say in what bedroom she slept in?

A big smile crept over her face as she felt Marco's fingers intertwine with hers.

"Shall we get dressed, my princess?" He smirked, swinging his arm back and forth between them.

If Marco was being truthful, his relationship with Star was almost the complete opposite of his time with other girls. Just thinking about his failed past relationships brought back heartache and embarrassment. For example, if he had grabbed Jackie's hand so suddenly back then, he could only imagine how sweaty and shaky they would be. Now, there was nothing that felt more natural than taking Star in his arms.

Before they could swing their way up the stairs, Angie and Rafael stepped out into the living room. Star's eyes sparkled as she looked over them from head to toe. They were dressed beautifully for the welcome dinner her parents were planning at the castle.

"We have dressed appropriately, I hope!" Rafael grinned, holding an arm outstretched to twirl his wife around. Angie's floor length dress glimmered even in the low incandescent light.

"You look amazing!" Star replied eagerly, "You two will put me and Marco to shame!"

"Absolutely not!" Angie gushed, "Quickly, go get ready so we can leave."

* * *

Marco was expecting a small buffet type meal when they reached Mewni, but he _should_ have known to expect something huge from the royals. With almost as much fanfare as the last Mewni-related event he attended, banners hung from every corner of the banquet hall. No chair or pedestal was left undecorated. Castle staff dressed in stuffy suits ran chaotically around them, offering samples and drinks to all of the guests.

"There's, like, _so_ many people here." Marco leaned over and muttered to Star.

Her eyes were wide as she looked around the room and nodded, "I didn't think mom would invite this many guests. Look, grandparents!"

Both sides of Star's extended family were mingling around the tables of food, chatting to one another and smiling.

"I don't want to freak you out, but have you seen that giant, creepy picture of you on the wall?" Marco gently took Star's shoulders and turned her around.

With one glance, Star gasped and elbowed Marco in the ribs, "How dare you! I do not look creepy!"

Contemplatively, she tapped her chin with a finger and questioned, "Do I?"

"Nah, you know I'm kidding. It's probably just because the painting is so huge it makes you look like a giant." He took another elbow to the ribs. "Ow! Star!"

Marco was still rubbing his sore abdomen a few minutes later when a screech came from the main entrance.

"Star Butterfly!" The high-pitched voice called out, and before she could respond, Star was knocked to the ground by a levitating unicorn head.

"It's been too long since I have seen your beautiful face!" Pony Head openly wept all over Star.

"Pony...It's been like, 24 hours since I saw you last." She giggled, brushing off her dress and hugging her friend.

"I know, but girl! That's a whole year to me!"

Star had already met with Janna and the rest of her former crew in the week they stayed on Earth. The girls cried tears of joy as they all reunited, clutching each other in one big group hug. They shared stories of happiness and heartbreak, but Star was mostly surprised by StarFan13's metamorphosis. She was a completely changed girl! Star felt guilty by how much this disappointed her. Although she was always flattered by StarFan13's...obsession, she should have known it would end one day. Especially when the object of her fangirling disappeared for 4 years.

"Where are the others?" Star curiously peered at the doors Pony Head had busted through.

"Psh, girl, I don't know. Janna's probably stuffing her face right now." She nodded towards the line forming at the longest of the food tables. "Can we eat now too? I'm starving."

The main meal went smoother than Star or Marco expected. When it looked as if everyone was finishing off their last plate, Moon stood up and quickly tapped on a crystal glass in her hand.

"Excuse me, everyone!" She raised her voice over the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming, we appreciate it immensely. As you all are aware, we have had a very difficult past few years. I believe no one has felt the emotional strain of our war more so than my daughter, Star Butterfly. That is why we are here celebrating her first big step into adulthood!"

Moon held out her hand to Star, motioning for her to stand.

"Star has made the decision to begin the process of becoming your next Queen. With her, she brings her suitor, Marco Diaz. Please welcome him with open arms as he is part of the Butterfly family."

Angie and Rafael smiled ear-to-ear as tears trailed down their cheeks. Star could only imagine how proud they were of their son in this moment. After all, how many parents get to see their child become royalty?

"Would you like to say a few words?" River spoke up, smiling at the boy across the table.

Marco rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Hello, everyone. I just wanted to say thank you for letting me be here. I've, uh, met tons of you before at other fancy events but today feels different. I hope I don't let you down."

The day ended with Star and Marco meeting almost every single member of the party, one by one. Curious people from town were even invited to the castle to talk with the future queen. They weren't expecting presents from anyone, so the couple was surprised by the multitude of nicely wrapped boxes placed at their feet.

"I could get used to this," Marco marveled.

* * *

When the guests were long gone and a peaceful silence washed over the kingdom, Star and Marco were finally able to retreat to their rooms. Marco sat at the edge of Star's bed and watched the princess take out her pinned curls one by one. He wanted to prolong the amount of time together as much as possible before saying goodnight.

"I feel bad for not saying this earlier, but you looked gorgeous tonight."

"It's okay," Star replied. "I forgive you. I didn't get the chance to tell you how handsome you looked either."

"Only a week has passed and we're slacking on the couple responsibilities already," Marco smirked, shrugging his shoulders at her.

"Just because I didn't say it, doesn't mean I didn't think it. It's the thought that counts anyway, right?"

Star hiked her blue evening gown up higher on her hips and plopped down on the bed beside him. Almost as quickly as she relaxed, her head shot up with an idea.

Star's eyes sparkled in the moonlight as she asked, "Do you want to go somewhere nice with me?"

Half of Marco wanted to reply with how late it was and how tired he was feeling, but the other half of him couldn't turn down the possibility of being with her longer.

"Absolutely," He breathed.

With a simple cut of dimensional scissors, the duo found themselves at the edge of a shimmering lake. Small waves lit up by the reflection of the moon rippled across the water's surface. Tip-toeing across the rocky beach, Star patted the space on the giant boulder next to where she finally sat.

"This is my secret spot," Star whispered. "I found this place a little while after I had to leave Earth. I would come here to think about you even when I didn't know it was one hundred percent safe to be alone. You were worth that risk."

"Star, that was dangero-" Marco began.

"I know, but everything was so _crazy_. I couldn't think about you when I was battling monsters. The water made me think of our beach trips." She sighed.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you," Marco replied. "I tried my best, I really did."

Star interrupted Marco again, but this time with a kiss.

"That's more than I could have ever asked for back then. Thanks for not forgetting me."

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading! Just a heads up, this story won't have much monster fighting in it. Rather, it will have more of a "growing up" theme. Starco will still go on adventures and have some drama, as well as some _mature themes_. This is why I decided to start a brand new fic instead of continuing the one-shot. Thanks to everyone who asked for a continuation, I'm excited about this story! I'll try to update every week, at the very least every Friday. **


	2. Chapter 2

"We're going to be in _so_ much trouble if we don't get up."

The sun was just beginning to rise in Mewni. Rays of light filtered through Star Butterfly's wispy curtains, the morning breeze drifted over the couple wrapped together in bed.

"I'm royalty," Star grumbled sleepily in response, "I can do whatever I want."

She draped the crook of her arm over her closed eyes to block out the ever-brightening room.

"I don't think that's how it works, princess." Marco sighed, "What's on the agenda today?"

"Well, after you sneak back to your room without mom noticing, we'll both get breakfast and maybe visit Earth? I think we've finished training for this week." Star replied, still nestled deep under her covers.

It was true, Marco and Star had been in a royalty class almost every day this week. Marco needed the most help with learning Mewni rules and traditions, but the overachiever typically stayed up a couple of hours each night to study his carefully compiled notebooks.

Star met up with her mother most days, going through the daily steps of being a queen. Unlike Marco, she didn't take notes. She would tap her head and say, _"I've got it all up here, relax!"_ whenever he would ask about them. Much like in high school, they learned in two very different ways.

"Alright, up we go!" Marco grabbed the blanket burrito Star and threw her over his shoulder. She pounded onto his back with her fists, thrashing and whining into his ear until he finally set her feet onto the cold wood floor.

"God, why are you so _loud_?" He smirked, "We gotta be quiet, remember?"

"Shut up and go get dressed." She pointed towards her bedroom door and put a hand on her hips. The blanket slowly slipped from her body, tugging her already revealing nightgown down past her shoulders.

Marco blushed and quickly turned around, "I'm leaving!"

With a quiet _click_ of her bedroom door, Star could hear his attempts to tiptoe down the hallway. He wasn't very successful at being quiet. As she turned to the dresser mirror, her face began to darken deep red once she saw how close she was to showing off her chest. Although she and Marco occasionally shared a bed with each other, they hadn't actually been...intimate _._

There were a couple of close calls, but the threat of being walked in on was too strong to overlook. Star had no idea how much her parents knew, or at least _thought_ they knew, about what she and Marco did. Then again, she didn't really like to think about it. Star had put a simple barrier spell around both of their rooms, but she knew her mother could easily negate it if need be.

It didn't take long for the duo to get ready for the day, and when their bellies were full they stepped into the dimensional scissors' cut and felt the warm California sun.

"Where do you want to go today? We can do whatever we want." Star smiled and twirled with outstretched arms.

"How about we go somewhere different?" Marco asked, spinning his own dimensional scissors around his fingertip.

"Like, another town?" Star replied.

"Think farther."

"Another Earth state?"

" _Farther!_ "

Star shrugged, "I don't know! What do you have in mind?"

Marco chuckled, "You've taken me to so many different dimensions, but not once have we been to another country on Earth! What do you want to see, the ocean? Mountains?"

Star pondered that for a moment, tapping her wand on her chin rhythmically.

"We have both of those on Mewni. I want to see something new!"

Suddenly, an idea popped into Marco's head. A few months ago while he was packing up some of his things from home, he came across an old science book from high school. Across the cover was a beautiful night sky, full of color and some of the most beautiful stars he'd ever seen.

"I know exactly where to take you now! But it's a little cold, we'll have to get some things before we go."

* * *

Wrapped in a puffy mint parka, Star stepped into the great unknown. It wasn't as cold as she had imagined, but still much chillier than Mewni's late summer sun.

"Where are we?" She asked tentatively, it didn't look like there was any civilization around them at all.

"We're in a place called Norway, I don't know exactly where, but -" Marco looked at his watch. "We've still got a couple more hours until the sun sets so we can find out."

"Marco, it's literally morning. We just woke up." Star deadpanned.

"Not in Norway, we're like, 9 hours ahead here I think."

"Time travel is amazing."

The couple walked for a few minutes before coming across a cozy looking cabin. Marco checked his phone GPS and found they were close to a small touring company, but that they weren't open for the year yet.

"We should be good here, I know we're a little early in the year but I hope we can still see it!" Marco hummed and plopped down on the edge of the bed inside.

Star sat down beside him,"Uh, Marco, what exactly is _it_ , if I may ask?"

"I don't wanna spoil the surprise, but I know you're gonna to love it." Marco grasped her hands between his. "Trust me."

Her face softened, "Okay. I trust you. What do we do for the next few hours then?"

"We could go explore? I was hoping there would be snow on the ground, but I guess it's still too hot for that too."

Plenty of wildlife were out and about which got Star more excited than Marco expected. With both of their skills they were never really in any danger, but wanting to be on the safer, and more respectful, side the couple quietly watched from afar.

It began to get dark ahead of schedule, prompting Star and Marco to rush back to their small sanctuary while they could still see. Although most of the cabin's porch was covered, there was an extended section that housed lounge chairs and a side table, but most importantly, a great view of the open sky.

"Stay here," Marco took Star's shoulders and gently sat her down on the chaise.

He rushed into the cabin, almost tripping on his way back, but successfully carried a large backpack in his arms. The bottom of the other chair squeaked it's way across the porch as Marco kicked it up against Star's. As he pulled various drinks and supplies from the bag, Star got even more curious and impatient.

"You know, I think I've been very good at waiting but will you _please_ tell me what we're here for?" She pleaded, tugging at the backpack's straps.

"Isn't it obvious?" Marco replied. "Why else would we wait for night to fall?"

You could almost see Star mentally connect the dots as ideas ran through her head. When Marco finally sat down next to her, he tossed a large blanket over the two of them and inched closer.

As the sun began to descend, so did the temperature and the blanket was very much needed.

"I think I have an idea..."

"Shh, the show is about to start," Marco whispered, looking up.

As if by magic, colors began to glitter across the cloudless sky. Fading in and out of existence, bright pinks, greens, and purples waved in bands among the stars. Every so often, a long trail of light would cut through space and Marco made small wishes every time. He wondered silently if Star had ever wished on her own namesake.

The vibrant swirls of the Northern Lights caused Star to let out a small gasp, her eyes wide and full of curiosity.

"Is this magic?" She murmured.

"Not quite. This is science," Marco chuckled and squeezed her hand. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," She replied. Her eyes never once left the show above them.

Marco thought long and hard as the lights continued to dance, but he simply could not think of a moment that would top this. Star showing up at graduation was a very close second, but this had to take the top spot.

Of course, with all good things in his life, he couldn't get this tiny feeling of dread out of the pit of his stomach. He pushed away the nagging knot for now. Whatever it was, he could deal with it when it came. Unfortunately for the two of them, that seemed to be sooner than later.

When they heard Star's phone ring from across the room, the knot seemed to double in size.

"You should go answer that," Marco muttered.

Star was hesitant at first, but after the three missed calls she agreed, if only to get the noise to stop.

She dropped to her knees as she read the text flashing across her phone, "Marco, we have to go home."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hi, everyone! I wanted to thank you for being patient with me. I didn't update this story last week because I had an important family situation and found myself away from my laptop for most of the week. I'll make it up to you today by releasing two chapters! Thanks again for all of your support. :)**

* * *

"The next 24 hours are vital to the King and Queen's recovery rate. We're doing everything we can, your highness; I hope you understand." A small Mewni surgeon shifted nervously from foot to foot in front of Star and Marco.

The princess' face was patchy and tear-stained. Crying on Marco's shoulder had worn both of them out but they diligently stayed awake for almost 20 hours now, just waiting to hear any sort of news.

The update wasn't as positive as they hoped it would be, but Moon and River were alive and that's all they could ask for.

The verdict was in.

The royal couple had been poisoned.

It was a very strange situation for everyone involved. There was much speculation across the kingdom, tossing names of possible culprits left and right, but that's all it was for now – speculation.

The doctors were able to confirm that the poison was ingested, but that only furthered the confusion. Did the poisoning begin at food production? Did someone slip it in their meal while it was being prepared? Almost all of the options pointed to it being an inside job, either a person close to the royal family or someone with the ability to pass through the castle's defense spells. Either way, it was terrifying to think about.

Star and Marco decided to make their way back to the castle. Of course, much to Star's dismay, they were not alone. A small group of guards accompanied them back to their home, forming a circle around the couple.

"This seems a little unnecessary," Star spoke.

To this, the guards did not respond. Their faces were rigid and, frankly, bored looking. This raised some suspicion in Star, but she thought that maybe they were just really good at their job. A nervous protector would only make the public panic even more. She had never really examined the guard members before this.

Marco's stomach grumbled loudly, interrupting her thoughts.

"Sorry," He apologized, "The snacks we ate yesterday are long gone."

"It's okay," Star replied with a sympathetic smile. "I'm not really hungry but we could make a meal."

The castle interior was bustling with Mewmans from all different professions. Star couldn't put a name to most of their faces, but some family members were walking around with guard members of their own. The kitchen, unfortunately, was one of the busiest places. They reached the main entrance but found it was both securely guarded and taped off, preventing entry.

"Oh, right," Star crossed her arms. "I guess it would make sense for them to not let us in where the crime could have happened."

Marco turned to a very important looking defender of the manned door. "How's the progress of the investigation going?"

"Confidential," He replied. "Don't need any rumors getting out before we've confirmed anything."

The couple retreated to the large dining room table in defeat. Most of the table space was covered in scrolls and maps. From what Star could read there was a list of names, some of them sloppily crossed out in red ink.

"Maybe it's not such a great idea to eat here anyway. Who's to say the rest of the food isn't poisoned either, ya know?" Marco rested an elbow on the table, covering up the list Star was reading.

"Maybe we should go back to Earth for a bit. We can tell my parents what happened and go out to dinner. What about that one Mexican restaurant a few streets down, would that cheer you up?"

Star nodded sheepishly, but before she could verbally respond, a large foot stepped in between their chairs.

"I'm afraid all inter-dimensional travel is currently banned, your highness. You are to stay in the kingdom until we have caught the culprit." A knight spoke loudly to the two teens, then took a step back to fit in the line.

"That's irrational," Star snapped at the guard. "I was not informed of any of this. I haven't even had a briefing by anyone but the doctor responsible for my parent's recovery. Who is currently in charge of you lot?"

"Whoa," Marco whispered, sinking back in his chair a little.

 _Her queen skills flipped on like a light switch. I guess all that training is coming in handy now,_ He thought to himself.

"C'mon, babe. They're just trying to make sure we're safe. We might be the next target for whoever did this to your parents." Marco muttered.

Star responded loud and clear for the guards to hear, with an almost bragging tone, "I've defended this _entire kingdom_ against unspeakable evils. I don't need to be protected for a day trip to somewhere I lived for a year."

"Oh, we're not protecting you. We're making sure you don't leave _._ " A different guard replied this time, still monotone.

Star's face turned an unexplainable shade of red, "Please direct me to the current commander."

Marco took her hand in his as the guards shrugged and began to lead the way. The group tackled two flights of stairs before they reached her parent's bedroom. Here, another rushed-looking office was set up, much like the dining table. A well-dressed man paced quickly back and forth, one hand on his hips and the other scratching the back of his head.

"Sir," A guard member began, startling the commander out of his daze.

"Ah, yes! Your highness, I'm glad to have you here. Please, sit," He motioned to a couple of plush chairs covered with scrolls. Once noticed, he quickly ran to the furniture and brushed the debris off, patting their seats and smiling.

"O-okay."

Star and Marco sat, giving each other a suspicious look.

"I'm sure this is all very overwhelming for you," The commander began. "But I assure you, our guard and detectives are doing the absolute best we can to solve this."

"Would you mind telling me why my partner and I aren't allowed to travel then? You and I both know that I'm not a threat or someone who needs protection." Star sat up straight in her chair, her chin slightly jutting out with each sentence.

"That's the thing, your highness. Absolutely no offense to the both of you, but I don't _know_ it wasn't you for a fact. I'm not saying you committed this awful crime, but everyone is a suspect."

Marco and Star's jaws dropped to the floor.

"Are you serious?" Marco shouted, "We weren't even in the castle when this happened!"

"Track my dimensional scissors. And Marco's. I can tell you every location, with proof, that we were in the past forty-eight hours." Star was standing now, leaning towards the commander threateningly.

"Please calm down, Princess Butterfly. I truly do not believe you did this! But in a few hours you will be inducted as Interim Queen and how would the public feel about you leaving the kingdom in it's most urgent time of need?"

Star narrowed her eyes, "This is the first time I've heard of that. That changes things, then. What about my grandmother who's downstairs? Older first of kin are always chosen."

The commander scoffed, "Surely you've talked to her recently? According to Mewni Law, the temporary successor cannot be placed if they have any severe illness preventing them from doing their duties."

"I didn't think her dementia had gotten that bad yet," Marco sighed.

All Star could do was nod. To be truthful she had expected this, just not so soon. There was a long pause between the three of them before Star finally sat back in her chair.

"What about Marco, then? We are not yet wed so he shouldn't have to be a part of the ceremony. Could he leave to tell his family? He could take guards with him if you're nervous."

The commander pursed his lips, "I could allow that. He'll be accompanied by two guards and not take longer than one hour. No one will leave or return with him. Those are my conditions."

The two turned to Marco for affirmation.

"Yeah, uh, that works for me."

* * *

A very nervous princess paced back and forth in front of her bed, her fingernails were bitten down to stubs.

"You'll call me if something, _anything_ , doesn't go according to plan, correct?" Star winced as Marco stepped up to gently hold her face in his hands.

"Star, you don't have to talk like that anymore. You're with me. Relax." He brushed her cheek with the pad of his thumb and smiled.

Star reached for her wand and muttered a small spell under her breath. Suddenly, a bright pink bubble formed around the couple. The inside of said bubble was completely silent, shutting out the world around them.

"...'Kay," She finally sighed in relief. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I promise I'll be okay, I won't even take the full hour. What snacks do you want? I'll sneak some back with me." He winked and patted the backpack in his arms.

"I thought the commander said you can't bring things back with you?"

"He said no _one,_ as in a person. Not a thing, aka food."

"Ooh, sneaky. I like it." She kissed his nose, causing a bright blush to redden his cheeks.

A guard tapped furiously on the bubble, mouthing words that they could possibly read, but not hear.

"Be wary of them. They're freaking me out," Star removed the bubble with a quick _pop_!

"No barriers," The guard boomed. "That could be used against you in court, you know."

Star rolled her eyes.

"I'll be back soon, princesa. Be good." Marco waved before stepping into the dimensional cut.

"Bye bye," Star whispered to an empty room.


	4. Chapter 4

Star was currently wearing more layers of clothes together than she had ever worn in her entire life. Even her fanciest outfits were never this frilly and outrageous. But what was most alarming was that her dressing maids required her to wear a full outfit of hiking attire underneath. Why would she be bothered to wear pants under this hot mess?

These particular dressing maids had been attending to her mother since she was in training to become Queen though, so she let them do what they had to do. They definitely knew better than her when it came to these situations.

A small woman came into the dressing room and curtsied in front of Star.

"Your highness, I have been instructed to write a speech for your ceremony. I hope you'll find it to be satisfactory." With a bow of her head, she left the room, leaving Star to read the script alone.

From the time she was a very small toddler, Star remembered sitting in the corner chair watching her mother go through this exact process. Although she didn't remember details of the clothes or events, it was a routine she looked forward to.

Her mother would always turn to her and say, "Star, one day you will be Queen with a daughter of your own! Isn't that exciting?"

It _was_ exciting to her then, but she thought her first moment like this would be shared _with_ her mother, not because of her. The corners of her eyes teared up, thinking about how her parents were fighting for their lives in the building down the street. She wished she could be with them now, holding their hands and urging them to continue on.

If they were being strong, so could she.

Star sniffed and one of the maids gasped, "Oh, no, no, child. Please don't cry. I promise you look beautiful!"

They meant well. She smiled up at them, "Thank you."

* * *

Marco was true to his word and returned from Earth after only 36 minutes and 28 seconds. Not that Star was counting. It was even more impressive when she learned that he had managed to make delicious nachos in that time. She was finally able to enjoy her half of the meal when the prepping and makeup had stopped.

Marco was pushed and pulled into another room to get ready almost instantly, but that didn't stop them from having a long reuniting kiss. The dress maids "ooo'd" and "ahhh'd" while the guards just grunted and shoved him through the door frame. She giggled and waved goodbye to him again, while the ladies around her stared with sparkling eyes.

"You do love him," Insisted a maiden who was petite in every sense of the word. Even her name, Alida, meant small.

"Of course," Star replied. "I think I always have."

A second dress maid, Matilda, spoke, "There was talk that your relationship was purely for political benefit of the kingdom. A boy from another dimension, from Earth no less, to become Mewni king? It seemed unreasonable."

Star raised her eyebrows in surprise and the maiden's face paled, "I apologize for the misspoken words, your highness! I am merely repeating what others have said, they are not my thoughts!"

"You're fine," Star assured her, but still a little shocked from the statement. "I just honestly never thought of that. Do many people think this way?"

The ladies anxiously looked at each other before turning to the princess and nodding.

She wrinkled her nose in frustration. How could she convince the kingdom that she and Marco weren't together for political reasons? It would take more than a kiss or two, but a marriage this soon would only look rushed and fuel the rumors.

The more that she thought about it, however, dots began to connect in her mind. What if _everyone_ believed this? Even people in the castle?

" _The same people that poisoned my parents. What if...-"_ Star whispered to herself, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Y-your Highness?" Alida spoke again, taking a step towards her. "You look awfully pale, are you feeling alright?"

"What if they're trying to get rid of Marco, too?" She asked aloud again, this time the ladies understood.

In an instant, she had her wand at her side and was pounding on the door to the adjoining room. After no response to several yells and a locked knob preventing her from going in the old fashioned way, Star stood back and released a bright green ray of magic that exploded the wood into a thousand shards.

Aside from a guard tied with enchanted rope in the corner, the room was completely empty. No Marco.

Star's precise spell-casting blasted the rope away but left the guard completely unharmed.

"Tell me where they took Marco," She demanded, pointing her finger inches away from his nose.

He was obviously terrified and stuttered uncontrollably, "Y-your Highness! I t-tried to s-stop them! Please let m-me help you!"

"You have thirty seconds to tell me, in detail, what's going on."

The guard swallowed hard and proceeded to explain how the entire royal guard was divided. There were those who believed she was going to make the entire kingdom collapse when she became Queen and wanted to stop it before it began. The other, more rational, side disagreed and just wanted to fulfill their duties. When someone on the opposing side decided to poison the King and Queen, the commander felt that he had no other choice but to try and cover his team's tracks, if only to protect his shining reputation. The good side was threatened heavily and eventually gave in to the chaos. This particular guard had had enough and stood up to the others when they decided to kill the "Earth idiot".

"Thank you for your loyalty," Star held out her hand, palm up, towards the guard. "Please take me to where they were going."

"Princess Butterfly!" Matilda called out to her, "Your emergency outfit!"

The ladies gathered around her and, in an orderly fashion, unbuttoned the outer layers to show the tight pants and shirt underneath.

"Oh, bother." They harrumphed in frustration, "We just put all of this on."

"I can't believe I'm actually using this," Star replied, almost laughing at the absurdity of it all. "I'm, like, _so_ sorry for all of the doubting I did earlier."

They ushered her and the lone guard off into the hallway, but not before Star placed an invisibility spell on the both of them.

The guard, who's name she learned was Pence, led her to an empty wing of the castle. There were only guest rooms and maintenance closets here, but if you knew where to look, a bookshelf pulled out to reveal a hidden door.

It was there that they began their descent to the basement. The closer they got to the open room, the louder the voices became. She could hear Marco talking back to them in a very not-nice tone. A string of curses flowed from his mouth and Star had to hold back a giggle.

Pence held his arm in front of the princess as she started to walk towards the group.

"Anti-spell barrier," He whispered, pointing to a red necklace hanging around the commander's neck. "We'll have to draw them out."

The guard jogged about halfway back up the staircase and began to smack his sword against the side of the stone steps. Star stayed hidden at the bottom of the staircase, pressed flatly against the wall and waiting for them to inspect the noise.

As if on cue, the commander grunted towards two of the smaller guards, "Go see what's going on, we can't risk it being this close to the ceremony."

The guards drew their swords and headed up the stairwell. Star followed them until they were a few steps away from Pence and whispered,

" _Sleepy Shadow Surprise!_ "

The two bodies glowed a slight blue and fell to the ground, completely knocked unconscious.

"Good job, princess!" Pence chuckled quietly.

The duo repeated this process until only the commander remained. Clearly frustrated at the incompetence of his members, he mumbled under his breath started to climb the stairs.

Unfortunately for Star, the anti-spell amulet hanging around his neck extended the reach of the room and her invisibility spell failed to hold up.

"Well, well! Princess Butterfly!" Genuine shock flashed across the commander's face before a wicked grin took its place. "I wasn't expecting to get you until later but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to kill two birds with one stone."

Star raised her wand in defense, " _Sleepy Sha -"_ The wand fizzled slightly before going dark.  
She let out a yelp of a word that was not very ladylike in response.

The tall man chuckled and clicked his tongue, "You can do better than that."

"How's this!" Coming out from the shadows, Pence ran down the stairs and trampled over the fallen bodies. Just blinking into existence with an outstretched fist, he connected with the commander's face and tumbled over on top of him. Pence yanked the amulet from around his neck and tossed it across the room, shattering it against the wall opposite of Marco.

"Your highness, now!" He shouted, and Star's wand sparkled brightly and covered the man blue with her spell.

Marco could only stare in amazement, his body slumped against the restraints.

Star quickly rushed to his side, blasting away the thick ties and holding him in her arms. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Pence brushed himself off and only cleared his throat when their hug had passed the two-minute mark.

"I don't mean to interrupt," He muttered. "But this wasn't all of the opposing guards. We should get the word out before they reinforcements come in."

"You're right," Star sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Let's go."

* * *

The rest of the day went by fairly easily. Pence was able to gather together the trustworthy members of the guard and, with the help of Star's magic, transport the opposing members into Mewni's jail to await trial. Besides being slightly delayed, the Interim Queen ceremony went off without a hitch.

Star took this time to address the people's concerns about her relationship with Marco. She even had him say a few words. Whether the majority believed them or not, she was unsure, but Star knew she would keep fighting.

For her mother, for her father, for her people, and most importantly, for herself.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm sorry you don't get to do cool king stuff yet," Star smiled sympathetically at Marco, who was busily studying in the corner.

"It's fine," He replied with a wink. "One day."

A wide grin spread across Star's face and she pulled the last piece of her outfit on, a very pointy heel.

The current Queen was going to visit her parents today, but not until her daily duties were done. There were several stacks of paperwork on her temporary desk that required signatures, formal responses, and the like. The most exciting thing on the agenda was holding a ceremony for a young Mewman who had recently protected his kingdom.

"At least I'll get to sit by you at Pence's celebration," Marco stood to tell her goodbye but found that his line of sight met her chin.

He narrowed his eyes and said, "Those are some very tall shoes ya got on."

"Tell me about it," Star patronizingly patted his head with a smirk. "How does it feel to be the short one now?"

They shared a quick kiss and Star headed down the castle hallway. There were many things an interim queen couldn't do, but she did have to admit that the outfit and crown made her feel as powerful as the real deal.

The royal office was quite a walk away on the opposite wing of the castle, so Star let her parents take control of her thoughts for the journey.

Although they had not yet opened their eyes, the doctors were reporting various hand and toe twitches when asked certain questions. Because this happened mostly in response to Star's voice, they urged her to come and visit whenever she had the time. Free time, however, was limited lately.

It amazed her how much she had taken this position for granted as a young child. She always thought being a Queen meant having the ability to do whatever you want, whenever you wanted. Even as a preteen she urged her mom to, " _Just say no!"_ to her royal duties if they happened to be in the way of anything Star wanted to do.

She quickly wiped away the tears that pricked the corners of her eyes and walked into the office confidently.

* * *

Marco sighed at his stack of notebooks piled neatly around him, semi-circle style. Mewni had a lot of new information to process and memorize. Thankfully he thought it was all very interesting being a matrilineal system, especially when compared to Earth and, more specifically, the U.S. where he was from. The king's here had duties, of course, but nothing when compared to their other half.

When a few hours had passed and the words he stared at for so long became to look warped and twisted, Marco rubbed his eyes and decided to walk down to the kitchen. Because of the recent kidnapping and almost-homicide, he really wasn't supposed to walk around unattended.

 _If I hurry it'll be fine, right?_ He thought to himself and slipped out of Star's bedroom.

He had only gone down half a flight of stairs before a servant caught him, however.

"Sir, what are you doing! I shall call a guard for you at once." She held onto his wrist and walked with him like that until the nearest protection was found. The guard chuckled to himself at the sight of the small, elderly women dragging along a tall, chiseled future king.

Marco pouted throughout the entire meal.

"How long is this going to go on, do you think?" He asked the guard.

"If I'm being honest, sir, it will probably continue to be this way from now on. With the recent attack on the King and Queen, we've realized our protection might not have been enough."

"Yeah, but like," Marco stammered through a mouthful of sandwich. "The attack happened inside, not from an outside source. If it weren't for the bad guys on _your_ team, the attack never would have happened, right?"

The guard wrinkled his face in shame, "I suppose that is the case, sir."

Marco, not realizing the weight of his words as he said them, felt guilty now.

He placed a hand on his protector's shoulder, "I'm sorry. Thank you for making sure nothing bad happens to me, I appreciate it."

The man smiled, nodding a little, "Would you care to visit Miss Butterfly?"

Marco raised his eyebrows, "Isn't she busy doing paperwork or something? I don't want to stress her out."

"I can always say it is important business, sir," He shrugged. "It is almost time for the recognition ceremony, though."

"Let's just go to the hall then, I'm sure they'll have me wear something other than Earth clothes."

Sure enough, a small gaggle of handmaidens was waiting patiently for Marco at the head of the room.

When he finally plopped down into the throne beside Star, he looked absolutely worn out.

"Tough day, love?" Her voice instantly revitalized him, however.

"Not really, just being a big baby. I missed you, though."

Star weaved their hands together and smiled, "I missed you, too."

Together, they watched citizens of Mewni crowd into the hall, gathering in small groups to sit below their pedestal. A proud Pence could be seen at the front doors, chatting with his other guard members happily.

"It was nice of the royal family to honor him like this," Marco sat up a little straighter as the room began to quiet down in anticipation.

"My idea actually!" Star giggled. "I couldn't just let his good deed go unrewarded. Without him, you might not be here right now."

He tightened his grip on her hand.

After a nod of affirmation, Star stood from her throne and walked to the middle of the dais.

"Pence Gregory, please step forward to accept your new position as Commander of the Royal Guard."

To her audience, Marco was sure she looked poised and regal. He, however, could notice Star's slight fidget of twitching fingers, the way she nervously bobbed her head with each word, the small traits that made her, _her._

He was so proud of her.

As he looked around the room, Marco spotted a couple of preteens that were probably a little younger than the age he and Star had been when they met. Their faces looked so full of curiosity and wonder at their new, temporary queen. They had probably grown up learning about the "Rebel Princess" and yet here she was, following in the exact footsteps of her mother.

Marco found it hard to believe that even after Star had put her life on the line so many times for the sake of her people, some of them still felt as if she was going to betray them. He hadn't told her yet, but his kidnappers had even compared her to Eclipsa. Almost everything they talked about was a rumor, but most of them came back to Marco. Star was pretty well accepted on Earth, but it looked like that wasn't the case for him on Mewni.

Although he would never think of breaking apart their relationship, maybe it would be easier for him to stay on Earth for a while longer.

A large crash broke his concentration and the entire room turned to the source of the bang.

"Y-your Highness! She is a-awake! Queen Moon has woken up!" An out-of-breath attendant had caused the commotion, pausing with his hand braced on his knee to keep him upright.

The audience sprung to life and attempted to get up and exit the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of their previous queen. Thankfully, the on-duty guards, as well as Pence, sprang into action immediately. Star and Marco excused themselves and were able to slip past everyone in a polite manner, but not being a member of the room shouted,

"Please tell our Queen that we love her!"

Marco noticed Star's slight frown as they followed the attendant down the hall, but kept his questions for later.

 _I wonder if she's getting her feelings hurt._

* * *

The sterilized room hadn't changed physically since their last visit, but there was definitely a change in the aura that surrounded it. The bleak hopelessness was replaced by happy smiles and cheerful power-walking in between hospital rooms.

Star dropped to her knees at her mother's bedside and rested her forehead against the mattress. Her body gently shook, tears falling to the tile floor beneath her. She kept her sobs silent, in an effort to possibly hide the fact that she was crying, but her mother was not fooled.

Moon placed her twitching hand on top of Star's head, gently petting her soft, golden hair.

The first words anyone had heard her speak since awakening were, "No crying allowed."

Star raised her head and chuckled, "I'm so glad you haven't changed at all."

The two queen's chatted between themselves while Marco talked to one of the attending nurses.

"What about the King?" He asked, "Has he shown any improvement?"

The nurse pursed her lips, "Yes, but it seems he will have a much more difficult recovery than the queen. He ingested a decent amount more than our Queen."

Marco stepped side to side nervously, "But he'll be okay, right?"

"We will do everything in our power, of course."

This wasn't the assured yes he was looking for. For the longest time, Star related to her father more than anyone else in the universe. How would she react if she lost him?

He spent the rest of the day by Star's side, talking to her mother and holding Star in his arms while the Queen slept. It was past midnight when Star poked Marco, who had been drifting in and out of consciousness for the past hour.

"You can go back to your room now, I think I'm going to spend the night here with them."

"You kidding?" He replied, "And leave you here by yourself? I don't think so. Let's pull some chairs together and make a bed."

The nurses found them sound asleep the next morning, with Star holding her mother's hand on one side, the other gripping Marco's.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hey again! I really don't have a good excuse for not updating this story in a while other than life and work got to me. I hope to get back to a normal schedule soon. Thank you for understanding!**

 **Biggest question...How did you all like the Season 3 premiere? The war was a lot shorter than in my story. ;)**

 **Sorry for this, I'm feeling angsty.**

* * *

Despite the fact that it was a warm summer day in the kingdom of Mewni, Marco had been feeling a persistent chill creeping down his spine. In a way, this soothed the aching muscles he had from many difficult nights, but it wasn't from a healing cold pack. No, this chill had everything to do with the fact that the girl he was in love with was falling apart.

Three months had passed by since the day Queen Moon woke up from her coma. There was only positive reinforcement from the doctors involved, saying they could see her being released in a matter of days from her incredible progress. River, however, was not as lucky.

Marco remembered how the hospital staff had hesitated when asked about his status. They hadn't ever stopped trying to save him. Of course not, that was their job and he was their king. How could they expect anything less from them?

But in reality, Star could see how their treatments were getting more experimental by the day. Long gone were the meetings that consisted of confident medical professionals saying, " _King River will be back to wrestling monsters any day now."_ They were replaced by nervous nurses asking Moon and Star to sign release forms for a procedure that had never been done before.

"Anything that might help," Star would say, eyes filling to the brim with tears.

Three months, ninety-three three days to be exact, had passed when Moon brought up the unthinkable.

"Star, he is suffering. He isn't responding to our voices any longer. He is getting fragile and withering away. We have to think about letting him go."

"He is your husband! A father! How could you ever think of _letting him go_?" Star spit out in a mocking tone, leaning towards her mother with a look of hatred on her face. "Are you listening to yourself?"

Moon winced, sliding so deep into her chair that the recently returned crown slid down to her forehead.

"I know how you're feeling, my dear. I have loved this man, your father, for so long that I can feel my heart breaking in two just thinking about it. But we need to step back and think of a solution without our selfishness taken into account," She adjusted both her crown and her seat. "He wouldn't want us to be waiting at his bedside day in and day out. He would want us to let him go, so you can _live_."

Star scoffed, "I'm living just fine, thank you very much."

Marco, who had been deep in thought, finally spoke up, "No offense, Star, but I haven't seen you eat in three days. I had to help you tie your shoes this morning. You barely got out of bed at all. This isn't living."

The effects of her mental stability falling apart were ever-present. Her blonde hair, always so carefully done either by hand or magic, was wrapped in a knotted, greasy bun. Semi-circles of black and blue drew attention from the sparkle that was once in her eyes. Marco had seen her use magic only a handful of times since Moon woke up.

As the life in River began to fade, it did so with Star as well.

Forcefully, Star turned her chair towards Marco now, "I'm sorry for not acting all rainbows and smiles when one of my parents wants to pull the plug on the other. What are yours doing again?" Star tapped her chin dramatically and then pointed towards him, "Oh, right! Probably making another stupid sculpture or literally _anything else_ other than dying. So _fuck you_ , Marco Diaz."

Marco's facial features twisted in agony at her words; it felt like his heart had burst into flames. He ached for both her and what her parents were going through, but she had crossed a line.

"Star Butterfly!" Moon cried out, obviously stunned from what had just come out of her daughter's mouth.

"I, um. I need a minute." Marco responded slowly, and as if weights were tied to his ankles, he trudged his way back to the bed he and Star had sometimes shared before all of this began.

Star regretted what she said the instant it vomited out of her mouth, but she was too angry to feel any other emotion. She let the awkwardness hang in the air until it felt like she was breathing in a thick goo, like her lungs were getting coated with each breath. She gasped for air when Marco finally left the hospital room, a sob erupted from her and she screamed.

"I hope you're happy with yourself," Moon replied quietly after Star's crying had subsided.

"I am, thanks for asking," She rested her forehead on folded arms against the back of her chair and didn't look up when she spoke.

Her mother sighed, "You need to go apologize."

"I know. He's probably back with his parents by now, telling them how awful I am."

"Well, then I suppose you should go change his mind, hm?" Moon took her husband's frail hand in hers and pursed her lips.

"I promise not to do anything until you're more level-headed. You are not fit for heavy decision making right now."

"You promise?" Star's bottom lip trembled as their eyes met across the room.

"Cross my heart."

* * *

To both of their surprises, Marco had not yet run away to Earth. When Star found him, he was curled up in her bed, fast asleep. The more she looked at his innocent face, the worse she felt.

How could she say those awful things to him? She had only recently learned the Earth curse word she used against him, but she knew for a fact it wasn't very good.

She was still angry, the blood in her veins pulsed so hard it hurt to flex her fingers and toes, but that didn't give her any right to take it out on him. He was only trying his best and they were partners now, weren't they not supposed to fight?

"I should be telling this all to you, not just thinking it in my head," She whispered, and tenderly brushed the hair away from his eyes. It had gotten so long after Star told him she missed his old locks.

"I hope you'll forgive me this time."

* * *

 **AN: Short chapter, I know, but I'll be back!**


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